Walk Through The Fire (And Let It Burn)
by seastarved
Summary: In which Maleficent casts a powerful sleeping curse on Henry, one that merely True Love's Kiss cannot break. With time running out, Emma with Gold's help opens a portal into the fiery lands that the victims of the Sleeping Curse find themselves in. She and Killian embark on a journey where they must travel through fire, battle their worst demons and, bring Henry home.
1. Chapter 1

_Graphic here: _tmblr . co/ZVRwvr1SC6jva

_Disclaimer_: I own nothing.

_A/N:_ So, I'm really excited about this story and I hope you guys like it! It will have 2/3 parts and I'd love to know what you think! 33

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><p>Her hand shakes as she gently brushes the hair off his forehead. He looks so pale, it's all she can do to not crush him to her chest, give him some of her warmth.<p>

"You need to believe, sweetie. It _will_ work."

She vaguely hears her mother's voice and feels her hand on her shoulder but his voice is ringing in her head, drowning out everything else.

_"Mom!"_

She watches as a tear escapes her and drops onto his cheek.

(It will work, it will work, just because it didn't work for Regina doesn't mean it won't work for her, he will be fine, he will be-)

Her eyes close and she presses a kiss to his forehead, pushing every bit of love and magic she possesses into it, willing for it to work.

(It doesn't.)

* * *

><p>"You are the next best thing we have to Maleficent herself and you will <em>tell me how we can fix this!<em>"

Regina has got Gold up against the wall, holding him there by the lapels of his coat. Her voice rises with every word and Emma would be right up there with her if it wasn't for the fact that her legs had pretty much buckled after her failed attempt at waking Henry up. She's sitting now on a chair facing the bed where Henry lies, with Killian's hand on her shoulder the only thing keeping her upright.

"There might be a way, if you would unhand me please-"

Regina relaxes her grip. Gold shrugs out of her hold and continues speaking, his eyes fixed on Emma.

"But, we will require Miss. Swan who being the product of true love is the literal personification of the only thing that breaks a Sleeping Curse-"

"Then, why didn't her kiss work?", Regina interrupts while glaring daggers at Emma, like it was her fault that the kiss hadn't worked.

"It didn't work because _Maleficent_ cast it. A mere True Love's Kiss is not enough to bring back the boy. True Love will have to travel to the boy and bring him back herself."

She stands up, Killian moving with her, his hand still on her shoulder.

"Where do I have to go?"

She feels Killian's grip tighten and the eyes of everyone in the room on her.

Gold looks at her and then at Henry, his face grave.

"The nether-realm, the land of fire that all who are under the curse visit. A treacherous place, preying on a persons's demons and deepest desires, doing anything to capture another soul."

The room erupts into conversation.

"She doesn't have to go alone, does she?"

"I'm going with her!"

"Oh no you're not, he's _my_ son. I'm going with her."

The arguments continue but, she doesn't really hear any of it, her eyes immediately meeting Killian's.

"If you think that you're going there without me, you've severely underestimated my powers of persuasion darling."

His voice is a murmur, only meant for her ears. Her face breaks into a little smile as he comes around to face her, his hand grazing her arm and taking hers. He drops a kiss on her knuckles and pulls her closer.

"We _will_ get him back, love. I promise you."

He's looking at her with such sincerity that she wants to break, to cry, to let him comfort her. But, this is not the time.

They need to get her son back.

* * *

><p>Gold lets them know that he can only send two people over at the very most and even then only with Regina's help. So, when it comes down to it, it doesn't take much convincing to decide that Killian will be the one to accompany her.<p>

"How would we return?"

When Killian speaks is when she realises that the thought had never even occurred to her, too caught up in trying to find a way to wake Henry up.

"Once you find the boy, Miss. Swan will use her magic and the spell I will teach her now, to open a portal so you can return."

She feels herself stiffen. Killian steps closer to her and takes her hand.

"You can do it."

She meets his eyes and gives him a small smile and a nod. She wishes that she could believe in herself and in her abilities as much as he does, but for now, his trust in her would have to be enough.

Gold teaches her and she tries to burn every instruction into her memory. When they finish, or rather, when he tells her that she is as ready as she will ever be, they say their goodbyes. She hugs her parents, kisses her little brother. She watches as Killian and her father exchange a brisk handshake. She watches her mother envelope him in a hug that seems to shock him into stillness.

"Bring them home, ok?"

"You have my word, milady."

Her eyes blurry with tears, she turns to Regina, who for the first time since this whole thing began, looks close to breaking down herself.

"You take care of him alright? And look for another solution in case I- in case I don't make it."

Regina only nods before letting a concerned Robin take her into his arms.

She kisses her son a last time on the forehead.

Now they stand, facing the open portal, already feeling the heat from the flames on the other side. She looks at Killian and reaches for her gun. She doubts it will be of much use in there but it comforts her a little, lets her think that she's still in control.

"Ready?"

He flashes her a grin.

"Always, love."

* * *

><p>Heat.<p>

It consumes her until it is all that she can feel. Killian's hand is tight in hers. They'd realised early on that losing track of time and distance was all too easy here and losing _each other_ was not an option.

Initially she had been able to make out details of the landscape, a tree here, a hill there and they'd made some vague attempts to navigate. Picking a flaming tree and making it a reference point, they had made their way but soon enough, they'd realised that it was nearly impossible to separate one tree on fire from another. After which they had just tried to walk in a straight line as much as possible, hoping that the land itself would somehow lead them to Henry.

The burning never stops. They never find piles of ash or places where the foliage had burned all the way through. All there is, is the constant burning.

She glances at Killian and even though he's trying his best to hide it, he's having trouble walking. They both are. They walk hunched over, a hand in front of them to protect themselves from the flames licking at their bodies. The lack of water (they'd run out of the little bit they had brought with them very fast) was causing her throat to feel like there were knives stabbing her every time she took a hard, gasping breath.

But they push on, the only thing they can do.

(Despite the fact that they don't know if they were getting closer or further from their goal.)

* * *

><p>He had tried to take off his jacket in the beginning because it had become too oppressive but the only thing that had done was allow the heat to get closer to his skin. He's not sure how long it's been that they have been trudging along this patch of path. It's the first one in a while that hasn't required for them to jump over or navigate around some or other piece of their landscape blocking it.<p>

Emma stumbles, her grip on his hand tightening as she tries to hold herself up. His other arm comes around her to keep her steady. She was struggling, taking in shallow breaths and holding on to his arms for support. He wasn't doing too well himself, leaning on her a little bit as soon as he felt he could.

They needed to rest. They needed water. They needed a breeze, _something_ to give them some respite.

"How about we sit here, love? We're due a little bit of a rest."

Her head snaps up to look at him.

"No, we need to keep going. We're gonna end up at the burning room sooner or later and that's where Henry is!"

"But, you can hardly stand, let alone hike for who knows how long to a room in a building that we're not even sure exists."

He takes a breath. Speaking was sapping the meagre energy he had left.

"All I'm saying is, we have a better chance of actually _reaching_ the lad alive if we stop here and allow ourselves to rest until we can walk again."

She opens her mouth and by the set of her shoulders and the scrunch in her eyebrows he knows she's about to argue but there is a sudden crashing noise and he jumps, turning to find the source. It's tree falling over, its branches snapping as it hits the ground. When he turns back to look at her, his arms still around her waist and her hands still on his biceps, she looks resigned, her shoulders slumped and more of her weight leaning on him. She nods and moves to sit down right where they stand.

They sit there propped up against each other to keep themselves upright and he feels himself drifting off. His eyelids flutter as he tries to keep himself awake, his body feeling heavy. His arm goes around Emma and she leans into his chest.

Her hair still smells like lemons. He lets himself rest his eyes, just for a minute.

* * *

><p>He wakes with a start, jerked out of his dreams by a sudden sensation of falling. He opens his eyes and the orange and red sky fills his vision. He scrambles into a sitting position, his eyes darting about looking for Emma, his stomach churning when he can't locate her.<p>

"Good Morning sleepyhead, or night, or whatever time of day it is right now."

He feels a hand on his shoulder and relaxes. He looks up to see her smiling softly at him and his face cracks into an tiny answering grin. He still sees the anxiety in the way her hands grip his shoulders and in the way her smile doesn't quite reach her eyes but he is glad that she is in better spirits. Maybe now they will be able to make better time.

He stands up and takes her hand, dropping a little kiss on her forehead.

"Hello, love."

They continue their journey, still not sure where they were headed. He can see that Emma is beginning to panic and to be perfectly honest, so is he. They don't know where they are and they don't know how long Henry would last in here. The thought of him being hurt causes an ache in his chest that doesn't go away.

He is about to suggest they take a turn and find a different way when he notices an odd protrusion on a hill up ahead. He wouldn't have even noticed it if hadn't been for the fact that it was not covered in flames.

"Uh, darling? I believe we've found the room."

He points in its direction and watches as Emma's eyes light up and she breaks into a run. Her optimism is contagious it seems, because he finds himself running after her, a shadow of a laugh on his breath.

They reach the foot of the hill. She stops to look back at him and begins to speak but before she can get any words out, the earth shakes beneath their feet and she is falling. He is frozen as he watches her disappear into the ground, her mouth open in shock.

He can only see her fingers grasping at the lip of the hole. He attempts to run to her side but he crashes into some sort of invisible barrier just before he can get close enough to pull her up. He slams his shoulder into it again and again but it doesn't budge. He tries using his hook but to no avail.

"Emma! Emma, can you hear me?"

"Yeah! I can hear you! I don't know how long I can hold on, Killian!"

Her voice is faint as it reaches him and he can see her fingers digging into the dirt, slipping and grabbing hold again and again as they displace the soil, the flames at the foot of the hill uncomfortably close to her skin. His heart is thundering in his chest and his arms burn to pull her to safety.

"Darling, use your magic! I can't-I can't get past this bloody-"

He slams his body against the invisible wall again. His stomach churns with panic, his breath coming in short, shallow pants, his mind chanting a constant litany of _No, no, no!_

He sees her head emerge over the edge, her face twisted into a grimace as she strains to hold her weight. She's breathing heavily as she tries to keep herself from falling. He falls to his knees, his hand and hook against the wall keeping him from her.

"My-My magic isn't working! I can't feel it anymore."

Her words come in short bursts and he feels like screaming. He hasn't felt this helpless since the Crocodile had had his hand in Milah's chest. He pushes the thought from his mind harshly, not wanting to imagine Emma lying in his arms, cold and still.

"Try to pull yourself up, love. I know you can do it!"

He watches as she extends her arms, trying to get a better grip but the loose earth doesn't allow her to hold on for too long. The flames creep closer to her skin. She keeps slipping and every time she does, he feels his heart stutter.

"Emma, please- gods please love, hold on-if I could just-"

His voice cracks as he speaks and his eyes burn but he tries to break through the barrier again and again. Nothing happens.

"Killian, Killian stop. I need you to listen to me, ok?"

Her voice is tight, ready to snap, to break into a sob.

"I need you to promise me that you'll bring Henry back, that you'll get up right now and go save my son."

Even before she had gotten through her sentence, he had begun shaking his head.

"No, Emma, no. I'm going to get you out of there. You'll be-"

His voice gives up on him, his throat closing as he claws at the wall, refusing to give up, even now.

"There isn't anything-", her voice breaks as the first tears escape her, "you can do. I just- I need you to tell him that I love him and that I'm sorry I couldn't be there to save him."

"My darling, my _love_, please, just-"

She shakes her head and continues, her tears flowing freely now, her words punctuated by sobs.

"And tell my parents that I love them so _much_, that I'm-", her fingers lose their grip for a second and he lunges forward but she regains her hold,"so thankful for what little time we had together."

He nods numbly, still in denial that this was happening but ready to promise her the moon if she wished it. Anything, anything to make this stop, to feel her in his arms, to feel the warmth of her lips.

"And you."

She smiles a watery smile and laughs a tiny laugh that turns into a heaving sob as she cries. He feels the wetness on his cheeks as he echoes the sounds she is making.

"I'm sorry that this is when I've decided to say it but, I love you Killian. I love you so much. You've made me happier than I have ever been. You brought me-", an errant sob passes her lips, "-you brought me home."

He presses his forehead against the barrier and tries to speak, but his voice betrays him and the only sounds that escape him a broken sobs and half-formed words.

"I love you too, so much my darling. I can't- I can't go on without you."

She smiles and it pierces his heart that he can't kiss her, that he can never kiss her again.

"I love you, I love you-"

She repeats it again and again. Her grip on the earth finally gives way.

"Emma!"

He hears his anguished scream echo in the silence of the fiery plains and watches as she slips away from his sight.

The barrier in front of him vanishes and he falls onto the dry ground.

(He never wants to get up.)

* * *

><p>He had broken down completely after she had gone.<p>

At first he had cried, deep gut-wrenching sobs that left his eyes burning and his throat drier than ever. Then he had gotten angry, he had kicked and screamed, howling at the cruel demons that ruled this land for taking his love away from him. His knuckles had bled and his face had been scratched up, the heat only serving to inflame the wounds.

Now he sits, staring at the large crack in the soil, the hole extending deep, deep into nothingness. He keeps seeing her in his mind, her smile, her laugh, her kiss. She had come into his life like sunshine and taught his battered, blackened heart how to love again now that she was gone, it felt like his world had dimmed.

A few more tears slide down his cheek. He wipes them away and stands.

Despite the fact that he feels like his heart has shattered into a million pieces that pierce him every time he takes a step, he begins to climb.

He would honour her last wishes. He would find Henry.

* * *

><p>She wakes up with a start, scrambling to stand.<p>

"Killian?"

"I'm here, love."

He comes up from behind her to take her hand.

"Ready to go, my darling?"


	2. Chapter 2

_Graphic here: tmblr . co/ZVRwvr1Spuvj8  
><em>

_Disclaimer_: I own nothing.

_A/N:_ Yay! I'd love to know what you think!

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><p>She feels her legs give way again, pain lancing up them on every step.<p>

Her muscles cry out for rest, burning, but she can't stop.

Not now.

She'd been leaning her weight on Killian more and more as they had gone on. As had he. Now, they walk arm in arm using each other for support, unsteady and stumbling ever so often, looking for all the world like lovers walking home after a drunken night. The thought makes her giggle and that's when she realises that they are due for another break.

She stops abruptly and Killian lurches forward, losing his balance. She jerks her hand back to help him regain it but only manages to topple the both of them over, with her landing on his chest with a soft thud.

"Swan, are you alright?"

She raises her head to answer and feels a laugh bubble out of her because he looks ridiculous, her hair scattered all over his face, getting in his mouth and tickling his nose. He splutters, moves it away and manages to look concerned for her the entire time.

She laughs.

(It is just on this side of hysterical.)

She is just about to answer his questioning look when her eyes wander a little left of his head and she notices the building in the distance. It is some sort of manor, big enough for her to notice from this far away. It looks about as high as her thumb right now but despite that she spots its one discerning feature.

It is not on fire.

* * *

><p>His calf muscles are cramping, hurting with every movement. The hill is a relatively small one but the heat and the excessively steep incline tire him out fast.<p>

He can deal with this but the ache in his heart is completely different matter. He's already begun seeing her. Sometimes the flames near a tree turn just the right colour of gold that his treacherous eyes tell him is her. That she's still alive, still warm and real and present. But when he looks again, she is gone and all that is left is the emptiness.

His vision blurs again, his tears seemingly never-ending. He wipes them away roughly and begins walking again with sharp, heavy movements.

Henry.

He had to get to Henry.

* * *

><p>The come to a stop in front of two large doors. They're wood and the fact that they're not aflame is the most distinctive thing about them. She feels herself go rigid, staring up at the only thing standing between her and the possibility of finding her son. If, for whatever reason, he isn't behind those doors, if he isn't <em>ok<em>, if anything has happened to him-

Killian raises their entwined hands to his lips and drops a soft kiss on her knuckles.

"He's alright, love. He's _your_ son after all, stubborn as they come."

She gives him a watery smile and he answers with a tiny one of his own.

"Let's go get him."

She presses a grateful kiss against his lips and slowly opens the doors.

* * *

><p>He slams them open, the doors flapping on their hinges with the force. His mind still rings with Emma's words, her voice cracking as she had asked him to find her boy. He sees her broken smile as she had told him that she loved him.<p>

She loved him. Past tense.

The only thing keeping him going, keeping him from sitting down right here in the middle of this flaming room and letting the fire take him, is the fact that he needs to save her son.

He _will_ save her son.

And then, he will let himself grieve for the woman who had become his everything.

(All the stars in his sky have gone out and he doesn't know how to navigate in this darkness.)

* * *

><p>As soon as they step in, the flames engulf them again. The fire is different here, making a dull roaring noise that turns into a loud crackling when you get close to the flame. Her grip on Killian's hand tightens as they attempt to manoeuvre around the room. It's rectangular with a high ceiling, where the floor above runs in the form of a balcony along the walls. The lack of furniture only serves to make it feel bigger than it is and as they try to jump out of the way of random bursts of fire from the floor, the ceiling, the walls, they realise again, that finding their way in here is a ridiculous notion.<p>

"Henry!"

She barely hears herself over the roar.

"Henry! Answer us lad!"

Killian joins her futile attempt to try and make herself heard. It helps a little but she's not sure if Henry is even in _this_ particular room and even if if he is, if he'd be able to hear them. They walk further into the house, still unable to locate neither Henry nor a door that would take them somewhere else. But, the deeper they get, the wilder the fire is. She's turning her head this way and that, trying to spot a mop of dark hair, that striped shirt he'd been wearing but all she sees is the blaze. Her heart beats in an erratic rhythm as her panic grows the longer they go without spotting him.

"Maybe we should split up, cover more ground that way!", her voice is hoarse from the lack of water and it hurts to speak, her throat like sandpaper.

Killian stops walking, comes around to face her, their joined hands extended between them.

"Darling, _that_ is a truly terrible-"

He's cut off when a piece of the railing from the balcony above him makes a loud creaking noise as it falls away from it's place. He seems to be frozen, staring up at it.

"Killian!"

She tries to pull him towards her, out of the way but he seems rooted to the spot. She acts purely on instinct as she lets go of his hand, moves backwards and raises both of hers, trying to use her magic to stop the metal from collapsing on top of him. It rushes through her, more powerful than she has ever felt it and a burst of white light shoots from her hands.

It hits Killian square in the chest, knocking him backwards several feet. The railing crashes in front of her.

"No, no no no."

She's frantic as she runs towards him. He's lying on the floor, the fire beginning to devour the edges of his boots already. She falls to her knees and lifts his head onto her lap.

"Killian?"

He doesn't answer.

* * *

><p>He sees her.<p>

He almost falls to his knees at the sight.

He could swear on the Jolly that she stands there as real as she had been when she had fallen. He doesn't know if she's an illusion, if this is some new cruelty that the demons of this world have decided to find him worthy of, but he doesn't care.

It's her.

If there is even a _chance_ that-

She stands naught but ten feet away from where he is. The flames block her a little bit but he can see that she's looking straight ahead, her arm outstretched. She's speaking and then suddenly she moves back, uses her magic.

He tries to get to her, running towards her but he slams into a barrier just like before.

An agonised howl tears out of his throat. He begins throwing his weight against it again, using his hook to tear at it.

It would not keep him from his love twice.

* * *

><p>"Killian!"<p>

She's shaking him but he hasn't opened his eyes yet. She keeps staring at the hole in his vest, a jagged circle right where his heart it. The fabric is singed at the edges and she can see his skin. Her finger tremble as she runs them along the exposed part of his chest. Her breath is coming out in short, shallow pants and she can't seem to stop shaking.

She had done this. She had hurt him. If he doesn't wake up, if he never smiles at her again, never kisses her again, it would be her fault.

A sharp, broken sob escapes her.

"Killian! Wake Up, please, please- I'm sorry-I didn't mean to-"

Her voice breaks off and the churning in her gut worsens. She's panicking, she realises dimly, her tears falling freely now, punctuated by sobs that wrack her entire body. She sweeps his hair off his forehead, running her fingers through it. She begins trying to take deep breaths, tries to calm herself down. She's no use to him in this state.

She focuses again on the rip in his shirt.

She hit him, her magic did this. Maybe it can fix it too. She touches her free hand to his skin and tries to focus. She thinks of all the times he's made her smile, made her drop her guard, made her feel safe. She thinks of the way he had held her all night after she had almost frozen to death. She thinks of his smell, the feel of his arms around her. She thinks of safety, of home, of _love_.

Her hand begins to glow, it's a softer light than before. It spreads across his torso and suddenly she can see something red and pulsing through the haze. It's his heart, she realises but it's pulsing too slowly for it to be normal and slowly losing its colour. She pushes her magic again, willing for it to glow and beat, loud and healthy, but it doesn't seem to work. She sees her tears staining his shirt and her control slips again for a moment, the steady glow of her magic wavering as well.

The red of his heart is turning paler and paler and she panics, her magic jolting into him. His body arches and she screams.

"No!"

But, when he falls back into her arms, his eyes open slowly.

"'Mma?"

"Killian, I'm here. I'm so sorry-I-You'll be fine. Just stay with me ok? Just stay with me. I'll fix this."

She sounds hysterical but he's alive, barely, but alive. He raises his hand, its slow and it sways as he reaches for her cheek.

"You're so beautiful-"

He's slurring his words, his eyes fluttering closed as he fights to keep them open. She tries to silence him, so he can save his energy but he's always been stubborn, shaking his head and continuing anyway, his fingers trailing along her jaw. She leans into his touch.

"-and strong and brave."

Her tears start again, she smiles a sad smile at him and shakes her head.

"No, I did this. Killian I'm-"

"Not your fault."

His fingers fall suddenly and she takes his hand. The other still on his chest, she tries to use her magic again. His fingers squeeze hers lightly and her eyes dart to his.

"I love you, Emma. Always."

"No, Killian, no. You're staying with me. This is going to be ok and we're going to find Henry and go home-"

Her voice breaks through the last words in the sentence. She falls forward, pressing her forehead against his.

"Don't leave me. Please, don't go, I need you."

"'ll always be with you love. I promise to haunt you."

She smiles through her tears, finally breaking down, her tears mingling with his. He smiles back up at her and she barely hears him, his voice is so weak.

"Kiss me?"

She sits up. A Kiss, True Love's Kiss. She doesn't know for certain if it would work, if what she feels for him would be enough.

(She _loves_ him. It would have to be enough.)

She dips her head and kisses him, long and desperate, holding his face between her hands.

* * *

><p>He watches as she cries and the ache in his chest just intensifies.<p>

He wants to hold her, to comfort her but he still can't get through the wall. She is holding that _phantom _version of him and he wonders if this is how he is to be punished, watching as the love of his life falls apart in front of him, unable to touch, unable to speak. Helpless. Just as he had been when Liam had fallen. Just as he had been when Milah had died.

This is what he had reaped from his life.

This is what he deserves.

His head falls against the barrier as he watches. He doesn't know if he can take it any more but he can't tear his eyes away from her. If these are to be his last moments laying eyes on her, he will take advantage of them.

(No matter that his heart splinters every time she sobs.)

* * *

><p>It doesn't work.<p>

For the second time, her kiss doesn't work.

Maybe she is cursed. Maybe she has forgotten how to love, broken thing that she is. She has only hurt the people around her and now she is about to lose the man who had finally broken down the walls guarding her heart and loved her, shattered pieces and all.

"Killian-"

The words don't come. All that leaves her lips is a low whimper that escalates quickly into a hiccupping sob.

His eyes are closed.

"Killian?"

She shakes his shoulders.

"Killian?"

She tries to find his pulse at his throat but there only silence.

He's gone.

An anguished scream leaves her and she lets herself cry freely.

* * *

><p>He falls face first onto the floor.<p>

He gets over his initial shock and scrambles into standing, running over to where Emma still cradles the false version of him in her arms, tear stains on her cheeks, body still shaking.

"Emma!"

He head whips up at his voice and she stands quickly, her gun pointed at him in an instant.

_It's her. That's his Swan._

His face breaks into smile and it's all he can do to not take her into his arms right then.

"What are you? Why do you look like him?"

"It's me, love."

"No, you're-", she shakes her head, "He's gone."

He raises his hand and hook in front of him in a pacifying gesture and takes a few deliberate steps forward.

"That wasn't me. This land is playing tricks on us. It must have separated us at some point and replaced us with phantom versions of ourselves."

Her brow furrows, he takes another step closer.

"I- I saw you _die_ too, darling." His voice cracks as the memory assails him. He is close enough to touch her now. Extending his arm and gently lowering her gun, he steps even closer and tries to cup her cheek but she shrugs away from his touch.

"I can't- What if you're not- I don't have time for this. I have to save my _son._"

"And I'm going to help you. Love, ask me something. Ask me something only I would know. This place may be able to imitate the way I walk and speak but it can't imitate the way I feel about you. Please darling, trust me."

His voice is feverish as all his words come out in a rush.

_Please, trust me, my love._

* * *

><p>He's standing in front of her just as real as he was a few minutes ago and she doesn't know what to do. She wants to run at him and bury her face in his neck, hold him close and never let go but if this is another trick, if he disappears as soon as she touches him or if he leads her astray because he's not her Killian-<p>

She doesn't think she has the strength to lose him again so soon.

She gathers herself, and looks into his eyes. She hopes her superpower works well enough to tell if he's lying.

"What was the first thing I did when you woke up after the Snow Queen had hurt you?"

He smirks at her, his eyebrow going up. It would be charming if it wasn't for the fact that his eyes were rimmed in red and full of pain in a way that made her want to kiss it all away.

"Which time?"

She lets herself smile at that. They did have a penchant for getting into trouble.

"The last time."

His smile widens and she sees his eyes shine as tears gather there. She can't seem to control herself from having the same reaction.

"Well, you kissed me breathless and then my bloody brilliant Swan, you slapped me. Which I most definitely deserved. I didn't think I could love you more but watching you yell at me for endangering myself was-"

She doesn't let him finish because she's kissing him. Her gun hits the floor as her arms go about his neck. His own come around her waist, holding her closer and closer still. The kiss is sloppy and desperate as they try to crawl into one another. His hand comes up to tangle in her hair as the kiss deepens.

(She can taste their tears on his lips.)

He kisses her feverishly, moving down her jaw and throat before pulling her into a hug, his nose in her hair. She buries her face between his neck and shoulder and lets the shudders pass as she breathes him in. They sway on the spot she's sure they're going to topple over at some point but she doesn't care.

He's pressing kisses to her head, her temple, reminding himself that she's alive, just like she is doing. She runs her fingers through his hair and drags him impossibly closer.

When they part, they still touch as much as possible, unwilling to let the other person go. He runs his fingers over her face, tracing the curve of her cheek, the arch of her nose, the shape of her mouth.

_He's alive, he's here._

She allows herself to enjoy the feeling of having his arms around her again, just for a minute before they continue their journey.


	3. Chapter 3

_Graphic here: tmblr . co/ZVRwvr1VbCL1D_

_Disclaimer_: I own nothing.

_A/N:_ And that's the end! There will probably be an epilogue. Please let me know what you think! :)

* * *

><p>Her eyes droop shut again and she shakes her head to get rid of the heavy feeling. She squeezes Killian's hand harder, leaning some of her weight off him, trying to shock her body into staying awake.<p>

Falling asleep had been the reason that this place had been able to take advantage of them to begin with and really, it made sense, they were after all, in the land of the Sleeping Curse. Why Rumplestiltskin hadn't warned them about this is something she is determined to bring up with him when they manage to get out of here.

After they had found one another, they had continued walking, making their way through the labyrinthine house, room after room, looking for Henry. But so far, their search had been fruitless. She has a suspicion that the house is continually changing its design as they move through it. Doors vanish behind them as they turn corners, stairs bring them back where they started. She is convinced that she's seen this particular room before. But then again, they're all on fire so it's pretty difficult to tell the difference.

Killian stumbles into her shoulder, his weight suddenly on her and then just as suddenly it's gone as he straightens himself. The exhaustion is getting to them but they can't stop. The thought of Henry stuck in this place that preys on your mind sends a jolt of fear up her spine.

_He's strong, he's going to be ok._

She keeps repeating it to herself and even though every step is a challenge, they keep going.

* * *

><p>"Perhaps he's not in the house. We could try getting out of here and- Emma? Emma, wake up love."<p>

* * *

><p>She wakes to the feeling of a warmth at her back and soft kisses pressed onto her shoulder.<p>

"Emma, wake up love."

His hand snakes around her waist, stroking her stomach and ribs, back and forth, soft and slow.

"Mmm," she moves deeper into his embrace, "you're not giving me much incentive to leave this bed."

Her voice comes out muffled against the pillow and his breath fans out against her neck as he chuckles.

"I'm not _asking_ you to leave this bed," he whispers, biting her earlobe gently,"I'm merely asking you to join me in being awake because this is our first quiet moment in weeks," he drops a kiss behind her ear, "and I'd like to enjoy it."

He's right. This was the first night in so long that she had slept all the way through and the first morning where she hadn't been woken up by a call to clean up some new mess that Maleficent had left. She feels like she is floating, surrounded by his warmth and his scent. She feels drunk on it all.

So when he coaxes her to turn around and catches her lips in his, she lets herself forget for a while.

* * *

><p>Gods help him, but he's addicted to the taste of her.<p>

His hand caresses the curve of her hip, his other arm supporting him as he moves so he's above her, kissing her still. Her hand comes up to tangle in his hair and the other goes up his back. He still hasn't reconciled himself to the fact that he can do this, that he's allowed to touch her in this way and have her hold him in return. His mouth wanders from hers as he begins to trail soft kisses down her throat, heat beginning to spread across his skin. She tilts her head giving him better access and he bites down on her collarbone gently, worrying the skin with his teeth. The sound that leaves her lips makes his blood sing.

He drops a final kiss between her breasts and though he is loath to leave them unattended, he needs to kiss her lips again.

"Far better than sleeping, isn't it?" He mumbles it just before his mouth touches hers.

_Killian!_

Fire. Fire and heat and Emma. She's screaming for him and he can't get to her. He needs to get to her, his body screaming out to move and find her _now_.

"Emma!"

And then suddenly, he's back, staring into her eyes.

"Hey, are you ok?"

* * *

><p>She brings her hand around from his neck to his cheek, stroking it gently.<p>

"You just spaced out on me there. Everything ok?"

He still hasn't said anything. He looks panicked, wide eyes darting about her face as if taking her in.

She feels the first pinpricks of worry and raises her head to kiss him, wondering if it is some memory, some ghost of his past that has gotten him so afraid. He's woken in the middle of the night before with this look on his face, the same fear and helplessness etched into it. Usually, after she holds him and assures him that she is here, she is alright, she is his, he presses his face into the crook of her neck, his arms tight around her waist and slowly falls back asleep. But now when she kisses him, he doesn't respond the way he usually does, all passion and desperation. Now, he only presses back gently, as if out of habit and continues to look at her.

"Hey Killian, it's alright. I'm here."

He shakes his head and seems to come back to himself but then abruptly, he's getting off the bed. She groans at the loss of his weight above her but before she can make her displeasure known, he is speaking.

"Emma, wake up! This isn't real!"

His voice sounds like it's echoing off the walls and her head begins to hurt.

"What?" She's sits up, staring at him as he comes to sit beside her taking her hand.

"Emma, I need you to wake up darling. This isn't really happening. We're not in Storybrooke. We're in the land of the Sleeping Curse. We've got to rescue Henry."

"Henry..."

Her voice trails off into nothing, her head feeling fuzzy, pain still there from before. A sudden flash of heat by her leg. The room looks different, orange and yellow and _burning_. She presses her fingers to her temples, the pain only getting worse.

"Killian, what's happening?" Her voice is shaky with fear. But before he can answer, she grabs at her hair and shouts out in pain.

He's there immediately, holding her close to his chest, whispering assurances in her ears, telling her that she needs to wake up , to remember and when she looks up at him, he is surrounded by a burning halo, his face lit orange from the flames.

But, just as suddenly it is gone, the room looking the way it was when she woke up this morning.

"Love, look at me. Just breathe, alright? Take a deep breath."

She obeys and begins to attempt calming down. The pounding in her head quiets down a touch, her surroundings beginning to stabilise.

"What do you remember about yesterday, Emma?"

She's looking into his eyes and casting her mind back to what had happened yesterday but there is nothing. The world flashes orange again, scorching heat creeping up her skin.

"I can't- I can't remember," she yells, a sudden roaring in her ears blocking out all sound. Her hands closing over her ears, trying to make it stop.

Killian pulls her closer, his face creased in concern, his hand cupping her cheek.

"Breathe, love. Try and wake up."

She looks up to meet his eyes, deep, deep blue and fixed on hers. She lets them center her, she lets him anchor her.

And just like that, she remembers.

* * *

><p>He sees the room flash erratically between flames and normalcy at a pace that begins to make his head hurt but he ignores it all in favour of concentrating on his Swan, his heart constricting at the pain on her face as she blocks her ears against some phantom noise.<p>

He knows he's mostly speaking nonsense, the same words again and again but he's hoping his voice will soothe her long enough for her to break whatever spell they seem to be under.

Suddenly, she gasps, looking about her in surprise. The world looks ordinary, flashing into it's true form for a second, only to turn back the next.

"Killian! Where are we?"

He lets out a sigh of relief.

"I'm not quite sure, love. Last I remember, you had all but toppled over in your slumber and I was kneeling beside you on the floor. Then, I woke up next to you. What do you remember?"

"Nothing really. We were walking and then we weren't."

She looks around again as she speaks.

"How does it know what my bedroom looks like?"

"I'm not sure. It appears as though this world has access to our minds when we fall asleep."

The thought sends chills through him. The fact that someone or something was rifling through his brain, looking for the perfect way to make him stay here makes his hackles rise. Emma seems to echo his sentiment as she shudders before looking up at him again.

"Let's get out of here."

* * *

><p>"But we're awake now, shouldn't the spell be broken?" She says as they quickly make their way through the house, looking for a way out, avoiding the flames brought on by the sudden and unpredictable transitions in the world around them.<p>

"I was hoping it would, once you woke."

"Maybe we need to leave the house?"

He doesn't answer, just squeezes her hand that's been in his since they had begun trying to leave.

They just can't seem to.

It's just like before, moving in circles in a house that is incessantly changing. She knows these rooms, she knows this place. She's been living here for a year now but whatever it is that's cast this spell on them is manipulating it in a way that they can't find the front door no matter how hard they try.

"Mom?"

She freezes in place.

"Henry?" Her voice is thin, his name coming out on a wispy breath as she tries to find him.

"Where are you guys-"

She's finally spotted him, standing by his bedroom door, one hand scratching his head as he stares at them bleary eyed. He doesn't finish his sentence because he's in her arms, his last few words muffled against her shoulder.

"Henry! You're ok, you're here," her eyes scan him, looking for injuries and when she finds none, her heart finally rests into it's usual steady beat. Her eyes still burn from unshed tears.

"Love, are you sure it's-"

She feels Killian's hand on her shoulder, gently pulling her away.

"No, it's him," she turns to look at him, her voice frantic, unwilling to let Henry go just after she had found him, "It's him. We just need to wake him up," she faces Henry once more.

"Guys? What are you talking about? Is everything okay?" Henry's frowning at her and she notices, not for the first time, just how tall he's gotten.

"What do you remember about yesterday, kid?"

She figures she'd try Killian's trick since it had seemed to work on her. Henry's face scrunches up in thought as he tries to recall and then, just like her, he clutches his head in pain, his mouth open on a wordless scream, his eyes screwed shut. She slowly removes his hands from his temples, urging him to look at her.

"Hey, it's ok. You're under a sleeping curse."

"Curse-"

He's repeating her words as if trying to recall something forgotten, his eyes staring straight through her.

"Yeah, but it's okay. We're here to get you. You're gonna be fine, okay?"

He screws his eyes shut again, his face falling forward, forehead resting on her shoulder.

"Mom, what's going on?" His voice is low and weak. She feels a sob rising up in her throat. He's in so much pain. Her baby. Her hands squeeze his gently, trying to reassure him as much as she can.

"Lad, look at your mother. Concentrate on her eyes. It will come back to you."

Killian's arm comes around her shoulder fully, in silent support as he speaks to Henry, who looks up at her on Killian's instruction. His face is still etched with pain but he looks resolutely at her eyes. His own flickering quickly to the left and right sometimes and she knows that he's seeing the truth of this place just like she had.

"That's it. Just look at me. You're okay, you're okay."

He looks like he's making progress from what she can tell but then without warning, he falls forward again, shouting out as he does. She loses her balance as his weight lands on her, both of them toppling down to the floor.

Killian immediately kneels beside her, helping them up. Henry's head rests on her shoulder, his body limp as she rests on her knees. She pushes him back a little to look at him but he doesn't move, his eyes closed, his face still.

"Henry? Henry, wake up!" She shakes him by his shoulders, desperate now, her voice breaking.

She lays him in her lap, one of her hands cradling his head, the other trembling as she brushes the hair off his forehead. Killian holds her close and she leans against him, letting him carry a bit of the weight, grateful for his unrelenting presence, his quiet strength. It is the only thing holding her up right now.

"Henry, please, come back to me."

He doesn't move and she buries her face in Killian's shoulder, her tears threatening to overwhelm her. The room around them continues to fluctuate between it's two forms, but resting longer on the flames now.

"Mom?"

His voice drifts up to her and she sits up straight, looking down to see his eyes, clear and conscious, that intelligent gleam in them that lets her know that he's ok, that he's back.

"Mom! What're you doing here?"

He hugs her, his arms around her neck and hers holding him as close to herself as she can. Finally, finally, she feels like she can breathe again.

"We're here to get _you_ out of here," she mumbles into his hair.

"I knew you'd come for me."

She disentangles herself from their embrace and looks at him, a smile growing on her face.

"Good to see you again, lad," Killian says as his arms reaches to take her hand.

"Killian," Henry nods at him, looking more grown up than she has ever seen him, "thanks for coming for me."

"You can thank me when we get out of this blasted place. Let's make haste, shall we?"

She holds their hands in each of hers as they stand up, noticing for the first time that the room has shifted back to its fiery form, seemingly permanently this time.

Maybe they really had broken whatever it was that had created the illusion but she doesn't want to stick around longer than they need to. Now that they have found Henry, all that needs to be done is to cast the spell to get them out of here.

* * *

><p>"You can do it, love."<p>

She standing with her arms outstretched, her eyes shut in concentration. He whispers encouragements to her as much as he can when she wavers, her eyes opening to look at him standing behind her. Henry stands beside him, holding his hand. It's a strange feeling and he believes the boy would agree. Strange, but necessary in this world that would not hesitate in ripping them apart from one another given even the tiniest chance. He feels a protectiveness for this boy who is not his own. This spitting image of Baelfire, his last lost chance for a family.

He refuses to let anything happen to him.

"I can't do this!" Her voice is a frustrated growl as she drops her hands and stomps her feet. And despite it all, he feels a smile grown on his face.

Gods help him, he's so in love with her.

He begins to walk towards her, sneaking a look at Henry who gives him a nod of approval. But before he can reach her, she falls to her knees, her hands at her temples, a scream at her lips.

* * *

><p>She doesn't know what's happening. It feels like something is clawing at the insides of her head. The pain overwhelms her, brings her to her knees. She tries to speak through it, to ask Killian and Henry to get away but all that comes out is an agonised shout.<p>

* * *

><p>He reaches her in two quick steps but before he can touch her shoulder, the pain hits him.<p>

* * *

><p>Her vision swims, the world twisting and changing.<p>

* * *

><p>His hook digs into the floor, he can dimly hear Henry's voice and feel him shake his body but he can't concentrate, the pain in his head far too strong.<p>

* * *

><p>And then all at once-<p>

* * *

><p>She is eleven and on a trip out of town from school. A girl in their group cries the entire bus ride over because she misses her mother.<p>

Emma wonders what it would be like to have someone you miss so much that you cry when they're gone.

* * *

><p>He is twenty, his brother is dying in his arms, his face going pale and still and he is powerless to stop it.<p>

He is worthless.

* * *

><p>She is eighteen, lying helpless in a hospital bed as they take her son away from her. She knows it's for the best but despair grips her all the same. Tears flow down her face, her knuckles turning white as she grips the railing of the bed to keep herself from lunging at the doctor.<p>

* * *

><p>He is ten, waking up alone on a ship. His father is gone, leaving him to the mercy of these strange men.<p>

He feels like he is drowning. The feeling never really goes away.

* * *

><p>She is four, and they're leaving her. Her mama is telling her she has to go. Her papa is crying and pressing a little stuffed bear into her hands. She tells them, she can stay, that she wants to meet her new brother but they only cry more, hugging her close.<p>

And then, they're gone.

* * *

><p>He's not sure how old he is, he's lost count at this point, and he's drinking himself to sleep. He's been doing this for so long, it has become his nightly ritual, a way for him to numb himself a little bit before his ghosts inevitably come to visit him.<p>

It never really works.

* * *

><p>She is twenty-eight, and her mother is afraid of her. Her eyes are wide as she takes a step back, her baby brother in her-<p>

_Mom!_

* * *

><p>The clawing in her head intensifies and she screams louder than before but she is aware of where she is now, Henry's hands wrapped around her own as he coaxes her face up to look at him.<p>

"Mom, look at me. You're fine. I'm here."

She tries to escape from the nightmares that are chasing her. Every painful memory of her life playing on loop in her mind in perfect clarity, making her want to fall down and never get up. But, she focuses on her son, his face, his hands and tries to bring herself back, wrenches herself away from the hold that this place has on her.

She stands. It feels like she weighs twice as much, her movements slow and strained. Henry helps her and soon she is on her feet.

"Killian. Where's Killian?" She is slurring her words. She spots him before Henry can answer, dropping down to her knees beside him. Henry keeps a hold on her arm, helping her stay up.

"Killian! It's not real," her voice is weak, she isn't sure that he is going to be able to hear her, "Henry, tell him."

"I tried! It didn't work. I think it has to be you."

She takes his hand, squeezing as hard as she can. He's shouting her name now, an anguished cry of _Emma, _echoing in the chamber.

"Killian, please, I can't lose you. I'm here, I'm okay. Come back, " she keeps speaking, close to his ear, trying to sound as calm as possible, knowing that he needs something to anchor him here.

* * *

><p>She is gone from him and just like that, it is like before. He is alone.<p>

He feels like he needs to scream her name into the heavens in this land that she has never set foot upon. He needs it to help him remember. He needs to make sure that he never forgets a single detail about her. The way her hair looks in the sunlight, the way her mouth curves when she smiles, the way he hands feel on him.

So he does it, again and again.

_"Killian!"_

Is she answering him?

_Come back._

* * *

><p>His eyes snap open, locking on hers immediately and she almost sobs in relief.<p>

"Emma, Emma! You're alright, love?"

She doesn't answer him, only pulls him closer. She raises her hand to take Henry's and begins to mutter the words that Gold had taught her, what feels like years ago.

She focusses on the two people she is trying to save, pours all her love into it, all the desperation she feels. She feels a wind on her face and Henry makes a gasping sound.

And when she looks up, the portal is open in front of them.

* * *

><p>They reappear right where they had left, falling into a heap of bodies. They take a second to untangle themselves before they are engulfed in hugs.<p>

They've made it home.

She looks at Killian, still holding her hand, fingers interlaced with hers. He's watching Henry speaking to his grandparents, a small, fond smile on his face.

There will be time for talking, for dealing with all they have experienced but for now, she lets herself relax, leaning on his shoulder.

They've made it home.


End file.
